Apparatus for winding-up a self-expanding boom

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for booms, preferably so-called self-expanding booms, which includes a plate arranged on a platform, which plate is rotatable by a motor unit. The apparatus also includes a winder for winding up the boom. The winder is placed in the middle of the plate. A feeder for feeding-in the boom is arranged at an outer portion of the platform. The platform and the motor unit feeder are designed in that way that the later ones can be plugged into and out from the platform. The plate is designed in that way that it can be driven by a gear pinion which is arranged in the motor unit, and which goes into engagement with the plate when the motor unit is plugged into the platform. The feeder is designed and positioned in that way that the boom can be pressed togetherto a compact package when the boom is pulled-in, without need of extra guiding rolls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus for booms, preferably so-calledself-expanding booms, which comprises a plate arranged on a platform,which plate is rotatable by means of a motor unit, and which comprises ameans for winding-up the boom, which means is placed essentiallyvertically and essentially at the middle of the plate, and a means forfeeding-in the boom, which means is arranged at an outer portion of theplatform.

Such an apparatus is previously known from the granted Swedish patentapplication 429 143. This known apparatus has three guiding rolls placedon the platform itself at a distance from the means for winding up theboom, which rolls are connected together with the winding-up means by anoverhead rod. This means that the known apparatus becomes unnecessarilyexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a winding-up means, which is inexpensive tomanufacture and which is effective to use when rolling-up the booms. Theeffectivity depends primarily on the fact that the motor unit and themeans for feeding-in the boom simply can be plugged into and out of theplatform.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention shall be described more closelybelow with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the apparatus in a disjoined condition, and

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus in an assembled condition with a boom duringthe winding up phase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown there a preferred embodiment of thenew apparatus. This one comprises a rotatable plate 1, which is arrangedon a platform 2. This one comprises tubular plate girders which arearranged in that way that there are created two cavities 3a, b; 4a, b;5a, b; 6a, b having rectangular cross-section at four areas outside theplate, each of which having an angular distance to each other of about90°. In any one of these cavities, a motor unit 7, which is intended torotate the plate 1, can be plugged in. In this connection, the male part8 of the motor unit is projected into the cavity 3a. The motor unitcomprises a gear pinion 9, which is intended to go into engagement withthe plate 1 when the motor unit is plugged in, the peripheral portion ofthe plate being arranged in that way that it can receive the teeth ofthe gear pinion 9.

A means 10 for feeding in the boom is also intended to be plugged intothe platform 2. This means has a relatively long male part 11 which inthis case is intended to be introduced into the cavity 5a. The feedingmeans 10 is further provided with a first feeding roll 12, which isfastened in the frame 13 and which projects obliquely upwards in adirection forming the angle α with the horizontal line. The angle αsuitably lies between 20° and 70°. The feeding roll 12 is intended to bein contact with the portion 14 of the floating body of the boom (seeFIG. 2) when drawing in the boom. A second feeding roll 15 is fastenedin the same frame 13 as the roll 12 and at essentially an angulardistance of 90° from the same. This roll is intended to be in contactwith the skirt portion 16 of the boom (see FIG. 2) when drawing in theboom, i.e. the portion which is fastened in the lower part of thefloating body and which at the bottom is provided with weights, wherebythe boom can be held in a correct position in the water.

The position of the frame 13 in relation to the male part 11 can bechanged within certain areas by an adjusting means 17.

The apparatus further comprises a means 18 for winding-up the boom,which is detachably arranged essentially at the middle of the plate 1.This means 18 comprises four pipes 19a-d which at the top are kepttogether by a plate 20 and which at the bottom are fastened in asuitable way in the plate 1. This fastening can be made by means of fourlong bolts 21a-d, each of which penetrates a corresponding pipe. In thatconnection, the pipes 19a-d are arranged in that way that the means 18has a conical form, the distance between the pipes being largest at thebottom.

In FIG. 2 is shown the phase when a boom is wound-up. In thatconnection, the apparatus is positioned on a dock 22 or the like. As isapparent from FIG. 2, the boom can be wound-up effectively, i.e. air canbe evacuated from the boom and this one can be wound-up to a compactpackage around the winding-up means 18 without the need of extraaccessories, like guiding rolls. An essential point, in this connection,is that when winding-up the boom in a clock-wise direction and if theboom is placed to the left of the apparatus, seen in the pulling-updirection, the feeding means shall be plugged into the cavity 5a whichis positioned to the right of the center line c of the apparatus, seenessentially in the pulling-up direction. This has the consequence thatwhen the rotation in the clock-wise direction of the plate starts, theboom will be pressed together when it passes by the feeding roll 12, sothat a compact package of the boom is created around the winding-upmeans 18. When the winding-up phase is over, the bolts 21a-d areloosened, whereafter the pipes 19a-d due to the conical mountingarrangement simply can be lifted up. In that connection, the boom ismade free and can be taken away to a storing space.

When winding-up a boom which is laid out to the right of the apparatus,seen in the winding-up direction, the feeding means ought to be pluggedin the cavity 5b. Furthermore, the plate, in this case, ought to berotated in the counter clock-wise direction. Due to that fact in thesame way as previously there is a substantial change of the motiondirection of the boom when pulling-in the same which has the consequencethat the boom is pressed together effectively so that a compact packageof the same will be created around the winding-up means.

Due to the fact that the motor unit 7 and the feeding means 10 easilycan be plugged into and out of the platform, the apparatus is quick andsimple to use. Moreover, the apparatus will be inexpensive tomanufacture, when no extra accessories in the form of guiding rolls areneeded.

The invention is, of course, not limited to the mentioned embodiment butcan be modified within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for winding-up a self-expanding boom, comprising:ahorizontally extending platform having an outer perimeter; ahorizontally extending circular plate supported on the platform forrotation about a central, vertical axis; means defining a plurality ofhorizontally outwardly opening sockets in said perimeter of saidplatform, including two which are spaced about 90° to one another aboutsaid axis; means defining a radially outwardly facing ring of gear teethon said plate, centered on said axis; a motor unit including a bodymounting a gear for rotation about a second axis, a motor operable forrotating said gear about said second axis, and a prong removably pluggedinto one of said two sockets, for holding said motor unit with said gearengaged in driving, meshing engagement with said ring of gear teeth, sothat operating said motor causes said table to rotate about saidvertical axis; an upstanding winder mounted centrally on said plate forrotation with said plate about said vertical axis, by having a prongthereof removably plugged into the other of said two sockets, forwinding a self-expanding boom thereabout, onto said plate; and a feedersupported on said platform and having a first roller perimetricallyarranged on said platform in a feeder from for rotation about a thirdaxis which is disposed at an acute angle α to horizontal for rollingengagement with the boom as the boom is being wound about said winderonto said plate in a sense so as to compress said boom in athicknesswise sense.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:said platformis generally rectangular, so as to have four sides serially arranged atabout 90° to one another; said means defining at least one socketcomprising a plurality of tubular girders of rectangular internaltransverse cross-sectional cavity shape, said sockets being disposed twoto a side on said platform, in pairs wherein the two sockets of eachpair are located adjacent one another but on respective different onesof said sides.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:said feeder furtherincludes a second roller perimetrically arranged on said platform insaid feeder frame for rotation about a fourth axis which is disposed atabout a 90° angle to said third axis.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3,further including:an adjustable support for angularly adjustableorienting said feeder frame on said platform for varying said angle α.5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:said plate includes means defininga group of four upwardly opening recesses; and said winder includes agroup of four upwardly extending, upwardly mutually converging pipes,secured together at upper ends thereof, and having lower end featuresdownwardly received in respective ones of said recesses for mountingsaid winder on said plate.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:saidangle α is between 20° and 70°.